11.   Earnings improved after the steelmaker reduced costs and upgraded equipment.

12.   DVD players produce better sound and pictures than VCRs, spurring many consumers to upgrade their equipment.

13.   Even with demand in the doldrums, technology marches on, and competition compels chipmakers to keep upgrading their equipment.

14.   Existing customers who want the Spanish service will be able to upgrade their equipment, Macias said.

15.   He said money was budgeted to upgrade equipment and improve service.

16.   In some cases, the Pentagon has decided to upgrade existing equipment rather than build a new generation of weapons.

17.   It will also upgrade equipment at refineries, pipelines and terminals, and it will build a power plant at an Ultramar refinery in Three Rivers, Texas.

18.   Last week, the agency announced a settlement that allowed Marathon Ashland Petroleum LLC to reduce emissions at its refineries without specifying which equipment must be upgraded.

19.   Less money is left to upgrade equipment, expand production or merely remain competitive.

20.   Minutes of those meetings indicate that state officials were considering a plan to force the outdated plants to upgrade pollution equipment and reduce emissions.